Wow im 41now in "22" and have seen about 20 shows at the Factory and to know that the Dead played there a bunch of times blows me away!!! I never got to see Jerry regrettably but to have seen them in such a small venue was probably no definitely MAGICAL!!! And my sister RIP Id want alongside me 4 this one definitely!!! I Love and miss you GER!!!

This show isn't talked about often, as it's simply a great show in a period that is known for great shows. The cool thing about the Grateful Dead in 1969 is that they were a raw, powerful band. That is on full display on this recording.

Having known the Electric Factory well, I can almost hear the venue on this one- the recording itself isn't the greatest, but all the chanells are clear, and you can hear band interplay wondferfully- there is a hiss that others have mentioned, and I get the impression that I am listening to an old cassette tape when I play it.

The Darkstar in the first set is fantastic- the lyrics don't kick in until about 17 minutes into the song before it transitions into St Stephen- This version,while not the longest, or the best is a solid example of just how creative the band was during this period- There are hundreds of " ideas" being explored in this Dark Star.

The interplay between Jerry and Phil during " The Eleven" is as good as it gets- I love how towards the end of the song, Jerry is clearly playing that " round" motiff of the Elven, and Phil just starts playing the baseline of " Lovelight" right over top- bringing the band into the 1st set closer.

The closing of the Cryptical suite also has some pure electric moments with Jerry's leads- He was tapping into something- and I can just see him standing outside in a Philadelphia alley way, guitar to the sky, rivaling Franklin himself- I'm sure this show earned them a lot of fans- in one of their first shows in Philadelphia ( they played about 4 in 1968- although no recordings remain.)

5

From what I gather, this may be the first time the Grateful Dead graced Philadelphia

The sound definately isn't crystal clear but it's not that bad. Hiss is constant so you get used to it. All instraments can be heard. I don't think it really takes away from a great show. Solid 3 stars.

This is an excellent show, slightly muffled. I'm a Dark Star fan and this one doesn't disappoint.